Volunteers feed firemen, encourage preschoolers, and cultivate the soil 10
MATH Student article published in journal 3
ARTS Freshman designs winning banner 15
SPORTS Golf claims second state title 18
Memphis University School is a college-preparatory school dedicated to academic excellence, cultivation of service and leadership, and the development of well-rounded young men of strong moral character, consistent with the school’s Christian tradition.
Our mission statement is clear and challenging, and our athletic teams exist to help fulfill that mission. Interscholastic sports are excellent classrooms in which to cultivate service and leadership and provide a platform to test and sharpen moral character. We offer 14 sports with the hope that boys will not only pursue the sport they love but also explore other sports. That diversity aids in producing wellrounded young men. We compete fiercely, but we expect our boys to win with humility and lose with grace, ideals consistent with Christian tradition
This past year was probably the most successful year in our school’s history in terms of championships won. Tennessee championships in fencing, golf, lacrosse, tennis, and track were supplemented with state runner-up finishes in baseball, basketball, football, and swimming, and a third-place finish in cross country. These teams all depended on outstanding leadership from not only the coaches, but more important, the seniors. That comes as no surprise, but we often fail to think about the service provided by our underclassmen who willingly follow the lead of the seniors. Great leadership is always complemented by outstanding “followship.” The unselfishness required to follow the leaders is a key part of learning service.
Our teams play very competitive schedules. Victories are hard earned and require a great deal of commitment from all of our players. Doing this and also meeting the expectations we have for our students in the classroom demands a level of discipline not usually found in young people, or old ones for that matter. These challenges are necessary to test and sharpen our character. Our football players probably tire of hearing me paraphrase Romans
5:3-4: “Adversity produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope.”
Several of our outstanding teams suffered a few losses last season and at times hardly looked strong enough to contend for a championship. But their strength of character, achieved through adversity, coupled with endurance gave them a sense of confidence (hope) that would not be deterred.
Our Christian tradition teaches us that our talents are gifts to us from God, intended to be used with humility and grace. This past year we certain-
ly got to watch some very talented athletes. Several of these boys earned scholarships to continue playing in college. We should never take that for granted because less than 5 percent of high school athletes get that chance. The older I get the more respect I have for talent. While the saying, “Hard work beats talent that does not work hard” is true, I believe it is also true that hard work will not beat talent if talent works hard. Fulfilling our mission requires that we teach our boys to use their talents productively for the betterment of one another. We may suffer no greater failure than that of wasted talents.
There was a time not so long ago when playing sports for your middle school or high school team was the ultimate athletic achievement, but now in almost all sports, our boys play not only for our school but also for their “competitive” team. These teams usually have positive goals and at one time were primarily structured to give the boys additional opportunities to hone their craft and sharpen their skills. But today it seems more of the independent teams have adjusted their original mission and now exist primarily to help market athletes to college coaches. The culture surrounding these activities is what I would call “me-driven.” The motivation is, “Did I play enough, at the right position, at the right time, so that the right person saw me?”
I must confess, I find this trend very troubling for several reasons, but one chief issue is that it is antithetical to our mission. If it continues to grow, it makes our mission at MUS even more critical to the success of our community. Our teams strive to be “us-driven.” The motivation should be, “What can we do to improve the TEAM both on and off the field?” This is the attitude that will continue to produce men who are blessed with the talents to go out and provide the leadership that our community so desperately needs.
Our teams compete to win, and we strive to win championships, but even more important, our teams are dedicated to the “cultivation of service and leadership, and the development of well-rounded young men of strong moral character, consistent with the school’s Christian tradition.”
Candy Land, the classic Milton Bradley game for children, was the subject of some serious research for a group of Dr. Steve Gadbois’ students whose work is published in the Spring 2014 issue of The Journal of Undergraduate Mathematics and Applications (UMAP).
“To be recognized for work in a journal to which such bright minds have contributed is an incredible honor,” said co-author Jason Stein, a junior last spring when he worked on the project. “The high-level mathematics I saw in previous issues of the journal humbled me.”
Stein and four other co-authors – thensenior Sam Neyhart and then-juniors Kamar Mack, Azeez Shala, and Jeffrey Zheng – participated in Gadbois’ quarter course on Markov chains, a probability model that applies when there is a sequence of states with fixed probabilities of moving from any state to any other state. Candy Land was a fitting subject for this analysis, Gadbois said, because it is purely a game of chance in which each player’s movement through the confection-laced board is determined by the random drawing of cards, with no interaction among the players.
Using the 1984 version of the game board, the group investigated two issues: the average number of moves to finish the game from any square for one player and the average length of the game (in moves) for any number of players. Using tools and methods they had learned in class, the students worked together to compile the necessary data and then analyze it appropriately. They drew on the talents of two additional students: Yunhua Zhao, then a junior, completed one set of complex calculations, eliciting programming assistance from senior Garret Sullivan.
The 11-page journal article, entitled “Mr. Markov Tours Candy Land,” is replete with four tables, a graph, complex mathematical formulas, and references, including one for Gadbois, whose investigative article “Mr. Markov plays Chutes and Ladders” appeared in the Spring 1993 issue of The UMAP journal when he was a professor at Rhodes College. (To this day he denies ever having actually played either Chutes and Ladders or Candy Land himself.)
Gadbois said he could not be more pleased with what the students learned and accomplished.
“The Candy Land research project was a marvelous experience for all, I believe,” he said. “Five of the six co-authors are seniors this year, and I strongly feel that this publication is significant enough to merit mention in their college applications.”
Mack said the most challenging and enlightening aspect of the project was the first step, compiling more than 17,000 probabilities into a table called a transition matrix. The students were prepared to create the matrix with pencil and paper, until Neyhart said he could write a computer program to generate the data quickly.
“I saw how much more efficient it is to use a computer. It cut out many days of work,” Mack said. “As a result of this experience, I decided to take AP Computer Science this year. In this technological age, the skills we learned in this project will help us in the future.”
A framed display of the journal pages along with a photo of the authors – and, of course, a Candy Land game board –hangs near the math classrooms in the Upper School.
The “Mr. Markov Tours Candy Land” research project team, from left, Jeffrey Zheng, Sam Neyhart, Azeez Shala, Yunhua Zhao, Jason Stein, Dr. Steve Gadbois, and Kamar MackTo become a finalist, the semifinalist and his high school must submit an application detailing his academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. He must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed by a high school official, write an essay, and earn an SAT score that confirms his earlier performance on the qualifying test.
Ten seniors are among about 16,000 semifinalists in the 60th National Merit Scholarship Program, which recognizes high achievement on the 2013 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The semifinalists are Mitchell Apollonio, Mike Frymire, Jack Gray, Jack Hirschman, Ahmed Latif, Richard Ouyang, Azeez Shala, Hamid Shirwany, Yunhua Zhao, and Jeffrey Zheng.
About 1.4 million juniors entered the 2015 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the qualifying tests. If the semifinalists become finalists, they can compete for some 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth about $33 million that will be offered next spring.
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation also announced that two seniors, Marvin Banks and Kamar Mack, are semifinalists in the 2015 National Achievement Scholarship Program, an academic competition established in 1964 to provide recognition for outstanding black high school students in the United States. Banks and Mack are among 1,600 National Achievement Semifinalists nationwide, selected by virtue of their high PSAT scores.
They have an opportunity to compete for about 800 Achievement Scholarship awards worth about $2.5 million that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a National Achievement Scholarship, the semifinalist and his high school must submit an application and a record that shows consistently high academic performance in grades 9-12. The student must be endorsed by a high school official and earn an SAT score that confirms his earlier performance on the qualifying test, among other requirements.
Seniors Jeff Guenther, left, and Andrew Shelton achieved the Eagle Scout Award August 24. Guenther’s Eagle project was designing and building an outdoor stage at the Carpenter Art Garden. Shelton’s project was designing, building, and installing shelves for a storage structure at the Carpenter Art Garden. Once a blighted vacant lot, the space has been transformed into a communal garden for art projects in the Binghamton neighborhood. Guenther and Shelton are members of Troop 241 in the Chickasaw Council. Less than 5 percent of Scouts obtain the Eagle Award.
Has your son earned his Eagle rank this year? Send the information and high-resolution photos to Rebecca Greer at rebecca.greer@ musowls.org. We’ll include him in an upcoming issue!
National Merit and Achievement semifinalists include, front row, from left, Jack Hirschman, Marvin Banks, Ahmed Latif, Jeffrey Zheng; second row, Kamar Mack, Azeez Shala, Richard Ouyang, Hamid Shirwany; third row, Jack Gray, Mitchell Apollonio, Yunhua Zhao, and Mike Frymire.
When Jason Stein heard Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich speak in chapel about the problem of truancy in Memphis, he was moved to action.
“How can I help?” he said to Weirich after her address to the student body last fall.
That question led to Stein, then a junior, becoming the youngest mentor in the Shelby County District Attorney’s Mentoring Based Truancy Reduction Program. The program trains volunteers and pairs them with students considered habitually truant (absent five days without excuse) from school. The goal is improve middle-school students’ academic performance while decreasing truancy.
Until now the mentors have all been adults. Stein received mentor training and recruited five fellow Owls to join him in a new venture: MUS teens mentoring Shelby County students as a group, meeting together and going on outings, such as to Grizzlies games or the library.
In February Stein invited then-juniors Baty Daniel, Hayden Meacham,
Jack Mullins, Griffin Wilson, and sophomore Saatvik Mohan to a training session on campus presented by Mr. Harold B. Collins, program director of the Mentoring Based Truancy Reduction Program. Collins instructed the boys on how to form relationships with their middle-school mentees – to be authentic, to stay in touch, to listen to them, and most of all, to have fun with them.
“Be a friend. Be with your mentee,” he said. “Put aside all your thoughts and distractions and give him your undivided attention.”
Stein, who frequently meets with and talks to his seventh-grade mentee, has worked diligently to establish trust and open lines of communication. The goal, he said, is for mentors to get together with their mentees at least once a week and to keep in touch throughout the week with phone calls and text messages.
“We want the guys to know they can call us. We want them to feel like they are appreciated,” he said. “We want to show them they can maximize their potential by going to school. Every kid deserves that chance.”
During a group meeting at Hickory Ridge Middle School September 18, the
mentors and mentees were joined by Collins and Mr. Billy Orgel ’81, board member of the Shelby County Board of Education and MUS Board of Trustees member, as well as Mr. Cedric Smith, the principal of Hickory Ridge Middle, and the middle schoolers’ mothers. The group exchanged contact information and spent time getting to know one another.
Collins urged the Hickory Ridge students to be open and share with their mentors, and he challenged the mothers to stay actively involved in the mentoring process. He also encouraged the mentors to be tenacious keeping up with their mentees.
Collins said he was impressed by the enthusiasm of the mentoring trainees.
“It is humbling to see young men at their age wanting to help younger students,” he said. “We see an opportunity for these young men to encourage their mentees to attend school daily, graduate from high school, attend college or learn a trade, and grow into responsible and respectable citizens. But most of all, we hope through their relationships, they build a bond that will last a lifetime and change all of their lives.”
Mr. Harold Collins, center, program director of the Shelby County District Attorney’s Mentoring Based Truancy Reduction Program, with students, from left, Jack Mullins, Hayden Meacham, Baty Daniel, Jason Stein, and case advocates with the District Attorney’s Office Ms. Tyranda Mosby and Mr. Terrion Jamison.The College Board awarded 83 Advanced Placement honors to 73 students taking part in the 2014 Advanced Placement exams. Ten students received the highest honor of National AP Scholar, nine more than last year.
MUS offers 20 Advanced Placement courses designed to reproduce the difficult content of college-level courses and help students learn focused study habits.
The highest possible score of 5 deems the student extremely well qualified in that particular subject area. Of the 366 tests taken by 192 MUS students, 39 percent resulted in the highest mark. The average score of all tests taken by Owls was 3.95; the national average in 2013 was 2.89. More than 92 percent of exams taken by MUS students resulted in a grade of 3 or higher, compared with the national average of about 59 percent. Although college policies vary, most will award credit or advanced placement for scores of 3 or above.
In the Calculus BC exam, all 18 students who took the exam received the highest score. In addition, all students taking AP exams in the following courses earned a 3 or higher: Art History, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science A, English Literature & Composition, European History, French Language & Culture, Latin, Music Theory, Physics B, and Spanish Language & Culture.
Ten students received the top honor of National AP Scholar, granted to students in the United States who receive an average score of at least 4 on all AP exams taken and scores of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams. The MUS average was 4.83.
Shivam Bhakta ’14
Matthew Gayoso ’14
Salman Haque ’14
William Lamb ’14
Richard Ouyang ’15
Nick Schwartz ’14
Aditya Shah ’14
Garret Sullivan ’14
Zain Virk ’14
Yunhua Zhao ’15
Fifty-two students received AP Scholar with Distinction honors, 20 more than last year. An AP Scholar with Distinction designation indicates the student earned an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams. The MUS average was 4.45
Mitchell Apollonio ’15
Shivam Bhakta ’14
Michael Birnbaum ’14
Ben Blackmon ’14
David Blankenship ’14
Kameron Bradley ’14
Alec Carro ’14
Hayden Combs ’14
Baty Daniel ’15
Connor Dowling ’14
Renn Eason ’14
Jacob Eissler ’14
Andrew Elsakr ’15
Cole Ettingoff ’14
Seamus Fitzhenry ’14
Travis Floyd ’14
Chris Galvin ’14
Matthew Gayoso ’14
Connor Goodwin ’14
Salman Haque ’14
Reed Harrison ’14
Josh Hawkins ’14
Witt Hawkins ’14
Jack Hirschman ’15
Davis Howe ’14
Tal Keel ’14
Ashish Kumar ’15
William Lamb ’14
Ahmed Latif ’15
Walker Lee ’15
Leshan Moodley ’14
Nevin Naren ’15
Sam Neyhart ’14
Ben Ormseth ’14
Samuel Ostrow ’14
Richard Ouyang ’15
Stephen Pacheco ’14
Nick Schwartz ’14
Aditya Shah ’14
Azeez Shala ’15
Hamid Shirwany ’15
Walker Sims ’14
Andy Sorensen ’14
Paul Stevenson ’14
Garret Sullivan ’14
Sherman Tabor ’15
Tejvir Vaghela ’14
Zain Virk ’14
Harrison Williams ’14
Griffin Wilson ’15
Yunhua Zhao ’15
Jeffrey Zheng ’15
Eleven students received the AP Scholar with Honor designation, indicating they earned an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams. The MUS average was 4.23.
Leo Bjorklund ’14
Alex Carruthers ’15
Josh Douglass ’14
Drew Evans ’14
Jack Gray ’15
Stewart Love ’15
Hayden Meacham ’15
William Merriman ’15
Jay Mitchum ’14
Jack Mullins ’15
Stephen Tsiu ’14
Ten students received the AP Scholar designation, indicating they earned scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP exams. The MUS average was 3.88
Andrew Crosby ’14
Sam Fowlkes ’14
Mike Frymire ’14
Kamar Mack ’15
Dennis Parnell ’14
James Prather ’14
Jackson Roberts ’14
Preston Roberts ’15
Christian Schneiter ’15
Will Wells ’14
more effectively for all of us because we can trust one another,” he said.
“I believe strongly, and I say this often, that unless we possess an active and lively sense of honor, unless we maintain our honor system, we cannot justify our existence as Memphis University School, regardless of whatever else we might accomplish academically or athletically.”
Then Honor Council President Jack Gray, a senior, addressed the assembly. As he welcomed new and returning students, he explained the school’s Honor System in detail and gave specific instructions to the assembly.
Opening Convocation on Monday, August 11, launched Memphis University School’s 60th year at 6191 Park Avenue. The 2014-15 year began, as always, with tradition, including the Pledge of Allegiance, the MUS Hymn, and a devotional, delivered by Chaplain Jack Christenbury, a senior. Welcoming 644 new and returning Owls, Headmaster Ellis Haguewood spoke about the school’s clear mission:
“We are a college-preparatory school dedicated to academic excellence, cultivation of service and leadership, and the development of well-rounded young men of strong moral character, consistent with the school’s Christian tradition,” he said. “I believe all that we do here at MUS must support that mission.”
Addressing the students as young men of outstanding ability and aptitude, he said each person is unique and of great worth, endowed with individual gifts and abilities.
He advised every student to challenge himself to do his best and to avoid measuring his success by another’s accomplishments. He promised that the MUS community would work to help each student reach his highest potential.
“We will challenge you. We will hold you accountable because we want you to develop the kind of character that will make you successful in college and also in life,” he said.
Haguewood encouraged students to embrace the new school year as a new beginning, and he charged the senior class to set examples for the underclassmen by upholding the ideals and values set forth in the Community Creed. Then he introduced four of their classmates to address the tenets of the creed. Hayden Meacham spoke on scholarship and accountability, Griffin Wilson on service and involvement, Roberto Olvera on respect and humility, and Richard Ouyang on truth and honor.
After swearing in the new Honor Council representatives, Haguewood led students and faculty in affirming their commitment to the Honor System and stressing the importance of maintaining a community of trust.
“An honor system allows us to exert external pressure on one another. And thus, through habit and testing, it becomes easier for us to become what we want in our hearts to be – and that is honest. An honor system allows a school to function
“If you witness an honor code violation, I urge you to come forward and notify us. By doing so you are helping maintain the integrity of the whole community. In fact, you owe it to all your classmates to uphold the Honor System. When someone breaks the Honor Code, they are betraying everyone else’s trust. We need to know so that we can rectify the mistake.”
“If you [break the Honor Code], turn yourself in. It will go better for you if you turn yourself in than if you are caught,” Gray said.
After Gray concluded his address, class and faculty representatives signed the Honor Book on behalf of their classes, then all students signed the book as it circulated among homeroom classes.
Mr. Haguewood leads faculty and students in the Oath of Honor.Student Council Representatives
Upper School Student Council
President
Xavier Greer
Vice President
Selden Montgomery
Secretary-Treasurer
Pierce Rose
Parliamentarian
John Madden
Chaplain
Jack Christenbury
Commissioners:
Social Events
Special Activities
Student Athletics
Student Welfare
Joseph Preston
Augie Van Deveer
Connor Wright
Tom Fowlkes
Grade 12 Representatives:
Christopher Davis
Patrick Demere
Kamar Mack
Michael Reddoch
Sherman Tabor
Preston White
Ty Wolf
Grade 11 Representatives:
Chandler Clayton
Forest Colerick
Tucker Colerick
Owen Galvin
Matt Kruczek
Mac McArtor
Thomas Pickens
Grade 10 Representatives:
Jack Crosby
Brooks Eikner
Jack Heathcott
Josh Karchmer
Jack McCaghren
Matt Silver
Joseph Threlkeld
Grade 9 Representatives:
Smith Duncan
Miller Grissinger
Jackson Howell
Hastings McEwan
Zachary Street
Bobby Wade
Rucker Wilkinson
Lower School Student Council
President
Call Ford
Vice President
Sellers Shy
Grade 8 Representatives:
Louis Allen
Joshua Blackburn
Garrott Braswell
Scott Burnett
Stephen Christenbury
Robin Coffman
Ben Cox
Walker Crosby
Trey Fussell
Emerson Manley
William Quinlen
Matthew Rogers
Grade 7 Representatives:
Hall Barry
Robert Dickinson
Charlie Eason
Gregory Guo
Clay Hancock
Fox Harris
Keithran Hopson
Cannon Hurdle
Tre Johnson
Rob McFadden
James Smythe
Ben Spiegelman
Upper School Civic Service Organization
President
Alex Carruthers
Vice-President
Bennett Wilfong
Senior Executives:
Andrew Elsakr
Robby Matthews
Junior Executives:
Forest Colerick
Tucker Colerick
Daniel Nathan
Philip Freeburg
Grayson Lee
Grade 12 Representatives:
Evan Arkle
Michael Jacobs
Pierce Jones
Nicholas Manley
Jerry Oates
Ethan Pretsch
Preston Roberts
Grade 11 Representatives:
Sam Bartz
Henry Keel
Saatvik Mohan
Patton Orr
Bilal Siddiq
Daniel Tancredi
Grade 10 Representatives:
Max Bannister
Rahul Mehra
Kirk Ruaro
Jacob Suppiah
McLean Todd
Henry Trammell
Luke Wilfong
Grade 9 Representatives:
Benton Ferebee
Barry Klug
John McBride
Macon Orr
Hayden Stark
John Ross Swaim
Matthew Temple
Lower School Civic Service Organization
President
Bailey Keel
Vice-President
Henry Wood
Grade 8 Executives:
Stillman McFadden Ev Nichol
Grade 7 Executives:
Daniel Lucke
Jerry Peters
Honor Council President: Jack Gray
Austin Robinson McKee Whittemore
Grade 12 Representatives:
William Merriman Griffin Wilson
Grade 11 Representatives:
Gabe Hanna Connor Whitson
Grade 10 Representatives:
Alex Hyde Henry Trammell
Grade 9 Representatives:
Josiah Crutchfield Charlie Evans
Grade 8 Representatives:
Nicholas Hurley Philip Wunderlich
Grade 7 Representatives:
Ben Merriman Spence Wilson
Other Student Leaders
Senior Class President
Tom Garrott
Editors:
Newspaper (The Owl’s Hoot)
Richard Ouyang, Yunhua Zhao
Yearbook (The Owl)
Hamid Shirwany, Ty Wolf
Literary Magazine (The MUSe)
Stewart Love
The Government Club sent 31 delegates to the 2014 Vanderbilt University Model United Nations conference in Nashville October 24-26, and they came home with a quartet of honors. Senior Kamar Mack won a verbal commendation in ECOFIN (the Economic and Financial Affairs Council) as a representative of Poland for his work debating free trade and the independence of Scotland. Senior Jason Stein earned a verbal commendation as a crisis committee defense attorney in the International Criminal Court. Junior Mac McHugh won honorable mention for representing the Eastern Empire in the fall of Rome as part of a joint crisis committee. Freshman Omkar Hosad earned the Best Delegate Award as a joint crisis committee representative for the Death Eaters of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Patton Orr recruits members for the Ted Talk Club during Student Council’s Club Day.
Tim White, captain of the Rugby Club, asks a question during the Q&A portion of Dr. John Harkins’ chapel about the West Tennessee Historical Society.
Senior Alex Carruthers faced a challenge common to all CSO presidents when he and his executives planned this year’s first service week: There are a lot of moving parts. The toughest aspect of the job is assigning each volunteer to a project.
“Putting people in each group the day of the event and making sure everyone had transportation was very stressful,” he said.
By day’s end more than 120 MUS students had covered more than 40 miles of Memphis terrain and had clocked more than 360 service hours.
Carruthers said his execs chose projects that offered as much variety as possible.
“We wanted to pick some socially focused and some labor-intensive opportunities,” he said. “For example, I really like the social aspect of tutoring kids, but some guys like being outdoors and doing manual labor.”
Junior Philip Freeburg’s group delivered Chick-fil-A and an oversized thank-you card signed by students to the firemen at Station 41 during Organizational Period Tuesday, September 16. The firefighters greeted them with appreciative handshakes and posed for a group photo.
While parents were on campus for Parents’ Back-to-School Day Wednesday, September 17, students headed out to volunteer in three major projects.
A group of 30 students, led by junior Tucker Colerick, spent the day clearing an overgrown lot in front of the Memphis Athletic Ministries Grizzlies Center on Ball Road. The work made the center, which had been burglarized the previous night, more visible from the street, in hopes of deterring future break-in attempts.
Senior Robby Matthews’ team of 30 completed art and classroom projects with kids at Kingsbury Elementary, and
senior Bennett Wilfong’s group of 35 recycled fencing materials and cultivated new rows for planting at the Binghamton Urban Farm, a community garden.
Junior Grayson Lee supervised 25 volunteers at Perea Preschool as they played big brother to a hoard of affectionate preschoolers.
The week ended with junior Forest Colerick’s group spending time with kids at the Refugee Empowerment Program, an affiliate of the Memphis Leadership Foundation that educates and encourages the 200-400 refugees from Africa and Asia who resettle in Memphis each year.
Coming up, students are needed to ring bells at Salvation Army kettles in December and to volunteer in Service Week 2 in January. Carruthers encouraged everyone to participate.
“Come on out and give it a try,” he said. “Influence just one life, and you’ll see that it is worth it all.”
Hot tea and scones were on the menu recently as students in the new senior seminar The Novels and Popular Culture of Jane Austen discussed Pride and Prejudice –specifically Lydia Bennet’s morals and George Wickham’s motivations.
Taught by English instructors Mrs. Michelle Crews and Mr. Jonas Holdeman, the course focuses on selected published and unpublished writings of the famous English novelist.
Students also explore English culture and history of the late 18th and early 19th century to increase their understanding of and appreciation for Austen’s work.
The course is among many electives emphasizing genres, historical periods, themes, or great authors that seniors may select to complete their English requirements.
Nick Dunn, Brock Wright
Mrs. Michelle Crews, Nicholas Manley
Nick DiMento
FIRE SAFETY - Because of a generous donation of equipment, chemistry students had the opportunity to practice with fire extinguishers during their honors, honors accelerated, or AP chemistry classes in August. Ms. Roz Croce’s class practiced what they learned (Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep!) on a simulated fire outside Hyde Chapel. Here, sophomores Kirk Ruaro (left) and Matt Silver record the brief amount of time it takes to empty an extinguisher. Watch a short video of the students in action on our YouTube channel under the Academics playlist at youtube.com/MUSOwlsTube.
Seventh graders in Mr. Vincent Beck’s Earth Science classes were introduced to scales in preparation for lab experiments to come. Here they work with balances to learn how to measure mass.
Eighth graders in Mrs. Shauna Miller’s science classes recently conducted The Oreo Experiment and learned the importance of reproducible data. The lab is based on a news story from August 2013 about a New York math class that analyzed the Double Stuf Oreo creamy center and called out Nabisco for being stingy with their stuffing. Their study found that the cookies contained only 1.86 times as much filling as regular Oreos. However, Miller’s crack team of scientists put the data to the test, and their results revealed that the middle was, indeed, double the Stuf. Unfortunately, they were not permitted to eat the elements of their experiments that day. Students learned about position versus time in Mr.
Students in Mr. Grant Burke’s Photography class put iPads into service as cameras in a lesson on lighting. Using available light (the sun), they practiced moving reflectors to fill in light and balance shadows. Pictured, from left, are seniors Daniel Nathan and Colton Neel, junior Bilal Siddiq, and senior Avery Johnson.
Theater Production students work with Mr. Robert Fudge to construct the first floor of a multilevel set for Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors, the fall play. Pictured, from left, are junior Durand Martin, sophomore Chris Barksdale, Fudge, junior Zach Shulkin, sophomore Reeves Eddins, and sophomore Shun Dukes.
Mrs. Terry Balton once again challenged students in her Digital Design class to create a banner for the school’s theater performance. The project gives students an opportunity to see what it is like to bring a client’s vision to reality while meeting a list of technical and copyright specifications. Alexander Goodwin’s banner for The Comedy of Errors won. He is the first freshman in one of Balton’s classes to win the project.
Beg To Differ performed their first gig of the year at the Greater Memphis Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary Christmas in September Gala. Held at Hilton Hotel, the event benefited the Angel Tree Program.
Created in 1991 by MUS music instructor Mr. John Hiltonsmith, Beg To Differ is a male vocal harmony group that performs a variety of a cappella styles, including classical, spiritual, and religious. The ensemble’s specialty, however, is curbstone harmony, which includes barbershop and Philadelphia doo-wop. The group performs for many school-related and civic functions throughout the school year.
Members of 2014-15 Beg To Differ:
Evan Arkle
Baker Ball
Andrew Elsakr
Tom Fowlkes
Jalen Friendly
John Kakales
Nicholas Manley
William Miller
Selden Montgomery
Patrick Murphy
David Nelson
Michael Reddoch
Stan Smythe
Harrison Tabor
Sherman Tabor
Daniel Tang
Townsend Warren
Mr. Jim Buchman, instructor in art, shows 3-D Design students, from left, senior Walker Lee, freshman Omkar Hosad, and sophomore Callaway Rogers how to safely operate the department’s new table saw, a SawStop. This brand uses a small electrical signal to monitor the blade, and when it comes into contact with skin, the system automatically locks the blade and disconnects power in less than five milliseconds.
projectile labs in Mr. Lee Loden’s Honors Physics classes during the last week of October. They only knew the velocity of the yellow ball as it left the projectile launcher and the ball’s acceleration due to gravity. The stages of the lab increased in complexity as angles and obstacles were introduced. From left, T.J. Purnell, Win Duncan, Brad Jarratt, Loden, and Connor Truitt watch the team’s ball descend through the hoop into a gray bucket below.
Students
Homecoming Dance DJ Kenny Turnup and Mr. Haguewood
Christopher Davis and Corwin Vinson
David Scharff and Andrew Elsakr
Prepsters invaded campus on day three of Football Homecoming Week in shorts and ties, plaids and pastels.
The 2014 Football Homecoming Court and escorts, from left, Joseph Preston, Lucy Camuti, Michael Reddoch, Jaden Davis, Sherman Tabor, Homecoming Queen Lillie Burrow, Reba Moody, Xavier Greer, Allison Ann Gusmus, Pierce Rose, Katie Sneed, and Alex Carruthers
The mark of a championship team is to play best when the pressure is greatest. The 2014 varsity golfers definitely played their best golf at the right time: at the TSSAA Division II-AA state tournament, held at the WillowBrook Golf Club in Manchester. In this contest their best earned the Owls a second straight state golf championship, as they defeated runner-up Ensworth by 11 shots.
Coach Cliff Frisby’s golfers came into the tournament with great confidence. They had improved as the season progressed and had won the region title in one of the most competitive regional tournaments in some years, besting Briarcrest, Christian Brothers, and St. Benedict in a close match. With the 7-stroke win over runner-up Briarcrest (295-302) at Quail Ridge in Bartlett, the Owls earned a team berth in the state tournament, held in early October.
The state team – consisting of seniors Hays Moreland (defending individual state champion) and Ross Redmont, and sophomores Goodman Rudolph, Mason Rudolph, Jake Meskin, and Trent Scull – got off to a solid start despite some adverse weather conditions on the first day. With rain and high winds in the area, the Owls shot 304 (total of the top four players’ scores), tying with Briarcrest for first. Individually, Goodman Rudolph tied for first with an even-par 72. Mason Rudolph was at 75, Moreland at 77, Redmont at 80, and Meskin at 84.
On day two the Owls’ experience came through as the team shot 295, winning
handily over Ensworth. Individually, every Owl scored better on the second day when the pressure was greater. Goodman Rudolph shot 69 (-3) to finish regulation play tied for first. Mason Rudolph shot 74, Moreland 74, Redmont 78, and Scull 78. The Owls held the lead throughout the round and never gave any team an opportunity to catch them.
The squad almost swept both team and individual titles, as they had in 2013. Goodman Rudolph birdied his last two holes for 3-under on the day and a tie with Ensworth’s Brock Ochsenreiter at 141 for 36 holes. The two went into sudden death, and Ochsenreiter ultimately defeated Rudolph on the fifth playoff hole with a birdie to claim the individual state title. However, Rudolph’s nine birdies through two days was the most of any participant, and the trio of the Rudolph brothers and Moreland combined for 22 birdies, a remarkable tally on such a challenging course with tough weather conditions.
The state title capped an outstanding season for the Owls, one that saw them finish the year 31-4-1. The squad claimed the Baylor Preview Invitational to start the season, defeating 10 of the best teams in the state. They also hosted and won the Ronnie Wenzler Memorial Tournament at Windyke, played in honor of the Owls’ former coach. Additionally, the team avenged two dual-match losses to Christian Brothers in the regular season with its victory in the regional tournament.
In addition to the six players who went to the state tournament, other players who contributed to the season were varsity golfers Bob E. Mallory, a junior, Jack Crosby and Cade Klawinski, sophomores, and Wyatt Berry, a freshman, plus junior varsity players Sam Bartz, Tucker Colerick, Danny Harris, and Daniel Tang, juniors, and Fredrick Danielson, a sophomore.
This relatively young team had only two seniors, Moreland and Redmont, but Frisby said these two brought much experience and great attitudes to the mix. He also praised the entire team.
State Championship competitors, from left, Jake Meskin, Mason Rudolph, and 2014 individual state champion runner-up Goodman Rudolph, defending individual state champion Hays Moreland, Ross Redmont, Trent Scull, and Coach Cliff Frisby“With or without the championship, it was a real pleasure to coach these young men,” he said. “Their eagerness to succeed made them easy to coach. The future is bright for golf at MUS.”
The camaraderie of the team was one of its strengths, according to Moreland.
“This is a great group of guys who really play out of love for one another. I am so thankful to have been blessed with two state team championships and an individual one. I could not have asked to go out on a better note in my last year,” he said.
Moreland, who plans to play golf at the University of Cincinnati next season, will always cherish his time on the team.
“I love this school and community, and they have been a blessing by God in my life. I have always liked the statement, ‘leave the program better than when you arrived,’ and I feel like we have. We had a fantastic season that I will remember forever.”
Coach: Jason Peters ’88
A - Team Record:
Regular Season: 4-0
Post Season: Shelby League Senior Division Champions at Mirimichi
Championship Team Scoring: MUS 156 Briarcrest 165
Individuals:
1st Place: Walker Crosby (35)
2nd Place: Russell Williamson (36)
5th Place: Philiip Wunderlich (42)
6th Place Tie: Call Ford and Stewart Grow (43)
Coach: Jason Peters ’88
B - Team Record:
Regular Season: 4-0
Post Season: Shelby League Junior Division Champions at Mirimichi
Championship Team Scoring: MUS 147 Woodland 204 ECS 211 St. George’s 216 FACS 234
Individuals: 1st Place: Charles Long (34)
2nd Place: Jack Billups (35)
3rd Place: Gregory Guo (39)
4th Place: Hall Upshaw (39)
5th Place: Cannon Hurdle (44)
LS A-Team Champs: from left, Call Ford, Russell Williamson, Coach Jason Peters, Philip Wunderlich, Walker Crosby, Stuart Grow LS B-Team Champs: from left, Gregory Guo, Cannon Hurdle, Hall Upshaw, Coach Jason Peters, Charles Long, Jack BillupsEighth grader Walker Crosby, a member of the Lower School golf A Team, was the top individual performer in every match he played this season: four regular-season matches as well as the Shelby League Senior Division Tournament. He finished the season with a -1 par stroke average. The top golfer in a match earns the medalist honor, regardless of which team wins the match.
Two seventh-grade golfers began the golf season showing some ace moves on the links. Gregory Guo, left, had a tryout to remember at Plantation Hills in August, ending the day with a hole-in-one during his final shot on the 147-yard par-3 No. 8. He had already secured his place on the team, but this shot added some panache to his performance as darkness settled on a long day of competition.
Charles Long, right, joined Guo in the elite club this month, sinking a hole-in-one on Wyndyke’s par-3 No. 13, during a battle against Lausanne and Woodland on September 22.
Coach Jason Peters ’88 commended both young men for their intestinal fortitude.
“We were already way ahead in the [Wyndyke] match ... however, the entire team gets really pumped up when the news about a hole-in-one spreads throughout the course,” he said. “Charles and Gregory did a great job of keeping their emotions under control, but I know they were about to jump out of their skin.”
Senior Bennett Wilfong, center, flanked by Christ Methodist Day School sixth graders Watts Miller and Drew Burnett, wore green at the MUS vs. Craigmont game October 24 to support Coaching for Literacy. The nonprofit organization, started by 2013 MUS alumni Jonathan Wilfong (Bennett’s brother) and Andrew Renshaw, is raising awareness of illiteracy and funds to support literacy programs. The Owls football team wore green socks in support of the effort. The Owls were victorious over the Chiefs, 49-26. In the past four months Coaching for Literacy has raised $170,000. It has sponsored events at 17 NCAA basketball games as well as the Ole Miss/Memphis football game September 27.
Coming into the 2014 cross country season – which, according to Coach Joe Tyler, started the day after last year’s state meet – the team had high expectations. For Tyler the key to a truly special season would be how much work and dedication his runners would put in during the off-season, particularly the summer. Tyler and his assistant, Coach Jonas Holdeman, stressed to their runners the importance of working the entire year. Looking back on a fine record, capped with a runner-up finish in the state meet, the coaches said the dedication of many of the runners proved their commitment not only to individual improvement, but more important, to the development of the team.
The nine varsity runners included four seniors – Carlton Orange, Pierce Rose,
Christian Schneiter, and Max Simpson – runners with extensive experience in the program. The coaches allowed these young men to lead the younger runners and gave them ownership of the team.
The underclassmen on the squad included juniors Philip Freeburg, Terrell Jackson, and C.J. Turner and freshmen Benjamin Freeman and Hastings McEwan
The Owls raced in six meets, including the first home meet run on the MUS campus in more than a decade. Other local meets included the Frank Horton Invitational and the West Tennessee Cross Country League Championship, both of which the Owls won. The team also traveled to Alabama twice in the regular season, competing in the Hoover Invitational at Veterans Park and the 16th Annual Jesse Owens Classic at Oakville Indian Mounds Park. These competitions helped ready the Owls for the state meet, held at the
5-kilometer Percy Warner Park Steeplechase Course in Nashville in early November.
There the Owls raced to a secondplace finish with 63 points, 21 points behind champion Brentwood Academy. Rose had the team’s highest individual finish, completing the course in 16:21.52 to claim fourth overall. Other MUS finishes included Orange, eighth; Turner, ninth; Jackson, 13th; Simpson, 29th; Freeburg, 32nd; and McEwan, 37th.
Coach Tyler acknowledged the importance of strong leadership and noted the job of this-year’s seniors.
“Our finish at the state meet was a direct result of the leadership provided by our seniors,” Tyler said. “Those guys have left a legacy.”
Despite losing these four seniors, Coach Tyler is excited about the younger runners –and he expects that they are already preparing for the 2015 state meet.
I have started this article many times, searching for the words to express how much MUS means to our family. There are not enough words to convey the many ways this community has touched our lives, from meeting new families who have now become close friends, to many years of volunteering together, to sitting in the stands at sporting events (sometimes in rain and snow). It all began the day we walked into the gym as new seventh grade parents for Book Sale six years ago, being welcomed by the smiling faces of volunteers at the Parents’ Association table. We remember thinking this is a community we want to be involved with throughout our son’s years at school.
Griffin is now a senior, and we cannot believe how quickly time has flown. Many times we had heard from friends whose sons had graduated, “Just wait – you wake up one day, and your son is a senior.” It is so true! The Parents’ Association has been a wonderful way for us to be a part of this special community.
“The Memphis University School Parents’ Association is a community of parents and families working together with a common purpose: to advance and support the mission of Memphis University School in order to enhance the school experience for the benefit of the students, families, faculty, and administration.”
This statement was adopted by the Parents’ Association Board in 2011. This year the association is stronger than ever, thanks to the hard work and dedication of many.
Membership Chairs Mrs. Beth and Mr. Tony Hunt began the year with a successful drive encouraging parents to join the association. This community allows parents to stay connected and to provide support for many extracurricular programs. More than 325 families have joined this year, thus far.
Each year the faculty looks forward to the Parents’ Association luncheon as they prepare for a new school year. Thanks to the hard work of Hospitality Chairs Mrs. Alice and Mr. Jeff Wright, and a host of volunteers, the faculty enjoyed a delicious lunch of fried chicken, salads, and sweets. That same evening Community Welfare and Mentoring Chair Ms. Kisha Mack along with parent volunteers welcomed 132 new families with sandwiches, cookies, and warm hospitality.
Mrs. Peggy and Mr. Ellis Haguewood continued a wonderful tradition by graciously opening their home to mothers new to
MUS as well as the moms of graduating seniors. These coffees were a huge success, thanks to the help of Upper School Hospitality Chairs Mrs. Debbi and Mr. Philip Freeburg ’81 and Lower School Hospitality Chairs Mrs. Courtney and Mr. Shawn Fussell. These are such sweet and memorable events for both groups, the new moms starting a new chapter with their boys and the senior moms preparing for an exciting year.
At the beginning of each year, the annual Book Sale provides parents and boys the opportunity to purchase new and traditional spirit items. This would not be possible without the work of the Parents’ Association spirit coordinators and their committee of volunteers. This year’s Sport Coordinators are Mrs. Cindy and Mr. Lloyd Grissinger and Mrs. Camille and Mr. John Holmes. They provide MUS fans with terrific gear all year long, from T-shirts to blankets and gloves, at numerous sporting events and at Schaeffer Bookstore.
Thanks to the coordinated efforts of Mrs. Maria and Mr. Michael Douglass, the Parent Phonathon was a huge success with more than $115,000 pledged. Volunteers enjoyed calling and supporting the Annual Fund in October. If you missed the chance to contribute to the Annual Fund during the phonathon, please contact Ms. Claire Farmer, director of the Annual Fund.
Mrs. Liz and Mr. Murray Garrott ’85 coordinated the many volunteers for Open House, welcoming prospective students and their families. It is always exciting to meet new parents and discuss the opportunities available for their sons at MUS.
Throughout the school year, the grade representatives plan events for each grade and update new information on the class blogs. Please subscribe to your sons’ grade blog and you will be informed of the latest events for parent gatherings and new information. You will find the links on the school website under the Parents tab.
We look forward to seeing you at the upcoming events this year. If you have not joined the Parents’ Association, it is not too late to join or volunteer. For more information on the Parents’ Association, visit musowls.org/NetCommunity/ParentsAssociation.
We are so thankful for MUS and the Parents’ Association. Our hope is that each of you will have the same warm and loving experience here that we have had. Although our boys’ time here goes by fast, the bonds we have formed with MUS families will last a lifetime.
Monday 11:15 a.m. -1:30 p.m.
Tuesday 11:15 a.m. -1:30 p.m.
Wednesday 8 - 9:30 a.m.
Thursday 11:15 a.m. -1:30 p.m.
Friday 8 - 9:30 p.m.
Co-chair with husband, Mr. Drew Wilson, of the Parents’ Association If school is not in session, the bookstore is closed.
by Mrs. Catherine Schuhmacher Lower School Counselor
The Counseling Department’s Parent Speaker Series this semester has focused on preventing substance abuse in adolescents and highlighted the effects of drug use on the teenage brain. Our most recent speaker, Mrs. Angela Camp, national coordinator of adolescent marketing at Bradford Health Services, provided a wealth of information to parents in early October. You can find her PowerPoint presentation on the Lower School blog under the Counseling tab (see the listing down the right column).
Camp reminded parents that adolescents’ brains are still developing, not fully maturing until their early to mid-20s. When an adolescent uses alcohol or drugs, his brain chemistry can be changed forever. If that adolescent has additional risk factors such as family history of substance abuse, learning disabilities, or stress, for example, his risk of addiction multiplies.
We know that students hear about the dangers of drug use from a variety of sources, and they may tune out these warnings. However, education is powerful, and the more we know and can share with our children, even when they seem disinterested, the better.
The most important message for parents is to follow your instincts – if you feel your son is in trouble, he might be. Seek help immediately, whether it is here at MUS or with a trusted professional in the community. We have many resources if you should ever need them. Drug screens are a good start to
determine whether there might be a problem. However, they are not always the answer because they do not test for all substances, including prescription drugs, which are becoming increasingly prevalent. Also, there are products on the market that can mask the signs of drugs in the body. Camp’s message to parents was clear – don’t let a clean drug screen give you a false sense of security. She also recommended that you lock up alcohol and drugs, including prescription medications. Kids like to experiment – it’s part of growing up. They might think that taking your blood-pressure medicine could give them a high. Take the temptation away.
Remember, as well, that kids and society in general overestimate the number of teens using substances. We have all heard kids say, “but, everybody is doing it” or “everybody is going” when that, in fact, is not true. Try to help your sons avoid the group-think mentality.
The College Counseling Department offers a host of resources to help students and their families in the college decision-making process, including essay-writing workshops, parent chats, evening sessions, college nights, and college campus tours. Following are a couple upcoming events:
Morning Joe Chats
During Parents’ Morning Joe College Chats, Mr. Brian K. Smith, director of College Counseling, answers your questions on anything college-related, from exploring college options and choosing the right school for your son to navigating the admissions process and preparing for college entrance exams. The next chat is January 26, 2015, at 8 a.m. in the Upper School Conference Room. RSVP to Mrs. Kim Justis by emailing her at kim.justis@musowls.org.
Campus Tours
College tours allow students to attend informational sessions, schedule meetings with college representatives, and experience life on multiple school campuses. Smith and Mr. Steven Johanson, assistant director of College Counseling will lead a Spring Break trip to schools in the Midwest region. Departing Monday, March 9, 2015, the group will visit University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Kalamazoo College, University of Notre Dame, University of Chicago, Northwestern University, DePaul University, and Lake Forest College. The cost of the trip is $2,000. A deposit of $200 is due by January 9, with final payment due by January 30. Pick up a form or register in the College Counseling Office.
THE MUS MISSION: Memphis University School is a college-preparatory school dedicated to academic excellence, cultivation of service and leadership, and the development of well-rounded young men of strong moral character, consistent with the school’s Christian tradition
December 11 Winter Choral Concert Featuring Beg To Differ
December 12 Second Quarter Ends
Bookstore Open House
Memphis Atlanta Basketball Classic [GA]
December 15-19 Semester Exams
December 22 School Holiday – Christmas Break Begins
January 5 Classes Resume
January 19 School Holiday/CSO Day of Service
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY Send
comments to rebecca.greer@musowls.org or call (901) 260-1348.
Featuring
7 p.m., Thursday, January 8, 2015
Wunderlich Auditorium
Mr. Chris Nowinski, a former Harvard University football player and professional wrestler, is the co-founder and executive director of the Sports Legacy Institute (SLI), a nonprofit organization dedicated to solving the sports concussion crisis through education, policy, and research. Nowinski wrote the critically acclaimed book “Head Games: The Global Concussion Crisis,” and he is one of the nation’s most prominent speakers on the subject of concussions in prep sports.
Read more at chrisnowinski.com.
